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6 Snow Themed Coasters

Baby it's cold outside! Yep, seems Winter is well and truly upon us and the smell of Christmas trees and frosty mornings inspired me to put together a list of snow/winter themed coasters to further embrace that wintery spirit. So here we go!

Alpengeist, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Literally translating to 'Ghost of the Alps' or 'Alps Spirit', B&M Invert Alpengeist is a massive coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg themed around a runaway ski lift. The coaster is the tallest complete circuit invert in the world and is known for its sheer size and force. As inverts go I personally prefer the smaller layouts with more compacted elements but there's no denying Alpengeist is absolutely awesome to behold on sheer size alone and swooping through the German Alps is certainly not an experience quickly forgotten.

Avalanche, Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Yh, pretty much every Mack Bobsled coaster is themed to some sort of snow related storyline, but I've picked Avalanche as it's probably one of the better known of these coasters! Opened by Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards in 1988, the coaster is themed around the Swiss Bobsled team and it's station is housed in an alpine themed lodge. The coaster itself is inspired by ski-run elements and the coaster train slithers past 'The Wall' and 'The Snake' as it makes its way down the hill. I've always thought these were a stranger coaster type, there's something kind of terrifying about there not actually being any track for the train to attache to but in the same breath that's also the reason why Mack Bobsleds tend not to be up to much. Interesting, but not the most thrilling in the world!

Mr. Freeze, Six Flags St. Louis/Over Texas
What can one expect from Premier Rides except something totally wacky and insane, and Mr. Freeze is no exception. Using an LIM launch system, riders are launched 0-70mph around the track, up a vertical spike and then all the way back again in reverse. The coaster appears in the Gotham City sections of the park and is inspired by pun-touting Batman supervillain Mr.Freeze. For Six Flags, the theming on these rides is actually really cool, with riders wandering through an abandoned ice-cream factory before boarding the trains in one of the most theatrical stations I've ever seen! (I won't spoil it, you'll have to see for yourselves!). I absolutely adore these coasters, in my eyes Premier Rides can do no wrong and Mr. Freeze is definitely no exception.

Matterhorn Bobsleds, Disneyland
Probably one of the most famous coasters in the world, the Matterhorn Bobsled was the first tubular steel rollercoaster in the world when it opened in 1959 and is themed to bobsleds sliding down the Swiss Alps with a magical Disney twist! In true Disney style, to give the mountain an extra flair of authenticity, real-life 'mountain climbers' can be found ascending the side of the mountain from time to time!

Polar X-plorer, Legoland Billund
Zierer's version of the Thirteen style drop-track coaster, Polar X-plorer is themed around snow mobiles on a polar expedition that ends with riders breaking and 'falling' through ice into a Lego winter wonderland, complete with a brief glimpse at real life penguins! Although the drop of Thirteen and Verbolten felt slightly more intense to me, for a Lego park this is one extreme coaster and tons of fun to ride! The penguins and interactive elements are a cool touch that really bring the whole snow-themed story to life.

Polar Explorer, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
Found at the decadently themed Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Polar Explorer is a Mack Water Coaster that takes riders of an adventure through snowy peaks. Found in the Polar Horizon area of the park, the coaster features two major splashdowns and is probably one of the most elaborately themed coasters of this type - it even takes riders through a real life brown bear exhibit!

I love a snowy theme, there's so much you can do with it from fantasy inspired storylines to themes influences by real life snow caps found around the world! That's my top picks, but there are loads more to be found once you start looking for them!